Ten Essential Tips for Growing African Violets
Many flower lovers encounter numerous problems when growing African violets. One flower lover obtained the cultivation secrets from Uncle Fa, an expert on African violets, which are extremely useful for flower lovers. Now they are shared for all to enjoy:
Problem One: Stems are weak and thin, leaves are smaller than normal, flowers are sparse or do not bloom at all. Cause: Insufficient light. Remedy: Move the plant to a window with stronger light or add a plant grow light that stays on.
Problem Two: Leaves have dim brown edges, flower shape is smaller than normal. Cause: Insufficient humidity. Remedy: Place the plant on a shallow tray with growing medium and add water to increase the surrounding humidity.
Problem Three: New growth is very tender, but grows very quickly, lacking flowers. Cause: Temperature is too high. Remedy: Move to a room where the temperature is maintained between 16-24°C.
Problem Four: Slow growth with leaves curling toward the back. Cause: Temperature is too low. Remedy: Same as Problem Three.
Problem Five: Leaf color is dark green but the plant does not bloom. Cause: Too much fertilizer. Remedy: Simply apply half the amount of fertilizer previously used or reduce the nitrogen in the fertilizer.
Problem Six: Leaf color turns yellow, the plant is small, and growth is also smaller than normal. Cause: Insufficient fertilizer. Remedy: Try to fertilize once a week.
Problem Seven: Leaves or flower buds drop off. Cause: Temperature changes too quickly. Remedy: Move the plant slowly to a new position, avoiding suddenly moving the plant to a place where the temperature differs greatly from its original growing location.
Problem Eight: Leaves become brittle and break easily, and turn brown. Cause: Soil lacks nutrients. Remedy: If it has been a long time since repotting, replace the growing soil.
Problem Nine: Coffee-colored spots on the leaves. Cause: Cold water was used for watering. Remedy: Water the plant with water at the same temperature as the room.
Problem Ten: Leaves fade in color and appear droopy. Cause: Light is too strong. Remedy: Move the plant away from direct sunlight.
Growing African Violets
African violet generally refers to Saintpaulia ionantha
Saintpaulia ionantha, Latin scientific name: (Saintpaulia ionantha Wendl), also known as African violet, is a perennial herbaceous plant.
Stemless, the entire plant is covered with fine hairs. Leaves are ovate, petioles are thick and fleshy. Flowers bloom one or several together, light purple. There are many cultivated varieties, including large-flowered, single-petaled, semi-double, double, and variegated-leaf types. Flower colors include purple-red, white, blue, pink, and bicolor.
It prefers a warm climate, dislikes high temperatures, is relatively shade-tolerant, and should be grown under diffused light. It prefers fertile, loose, neutral or slightly acidic soil. Native to the tropical regions of East Africa, the plant is compact and delicate, with colorful flowers that bloom in all four seasons. It is an excellent indoor flower and also a world-famous potted flower, especially popular in Europe and America.
Growing African Violets
Soil: Loose, well-draining soil is best. Peat moss mixed with vermiculite and perlite can be used as the medium.
Water: Note that African violet leaves have fine hairs and the flowers are small, so when watering, it is best not to let water accumulate on buds or leaves. Use a narrow-spouted watering can to water carefully. For potted flowers placed on a table, a water tray can be placed underneath to prevent water from leaking out. Water can also be added directly from the bottom tray, letting the roots absorb the water. Especially during peak blooming, when leaves and flowers occupy the entire pot, the bottom-watering method can avoid damaging the leaves.
Sunlight: It can grow in any bright indoor location. A windowsill provides just the right amount of sunlight. If placed on a desk, a plant light can be added to supplement the light, which can extend the blooming period and keep it blooming continuously.
Temperature: The suitable growing temperature is 15-25 degrees. In summer, pay attention to ventilation. If placed in an office, due to air conditioning, the temperature will not be too high or too low, and it should grow well, but attention must be paid to water supplementation.
Fertilizer: It needs relatively more fertilizer. It is best to supplement with liquid fertilizer about once every 10-20 days, applying small amounts frequently. When entering the blooming period, supplement with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. If there is too much nitrogen fertilizer, it will instead promote lush leaves without blooming.
Care: Most African violets purchased from flower markets are 3-4 inch potted finished plants that have already bloomed or have flower buds. After bringing them home, they can be placed by a window or in a place with diffused light. Water as needed depending on how dry the soil is. If there is a water tray, simply wait until the water dries up before adding more. Care is not difficult.
Ten Questions About Growing African Violets
African violet is also called Saintpaulia. For many beginner flower lovers, problems are inevitable during the process of growing African violets. Below, the editor combines the care methods of expert flower lovers to explain the various problems that arise during care, for everyone's reference and learning.Problem One: Stems are weak and thin, leaves are smaller than normal, flowers are sparse or do not bloom at all. Cause: Insufficient light. Remedy: Move the plant to a window with stronger light or add a plant grow light that stays on.
Problem Two: Leaves have dim brown edges, flower shape is smaller than normal. Cause: Insufficient humidity. Remedy: Place the plant on a shallow tray with growing medium and add water to increase the surrounding humidity.
Problem Three: New growth is very tender, but grows very quickly, lacking flowers. Cause: Temperature is too high. Remedy: Move to a room where the temperature is maintained between 16-24°C.
Problem Four: Slow growth with leaves curling toward the back. Cause: Temperature is too low. Remedy: Same as Problem Three.
Problem Five: Leaf color is dark green but the plant does not bloom. Cause: Too much fertilizer. Remedy: Simply apply half the amount of fertilizer previously used or reduce the nitrogen in the fertilizer.
Problem Six: Leaf color turns yellow, the plant is small, and growth is also smaller than normal. Cause: Insufficient fertilizer. Remedy: Try to fertilize once a week.
Problem Seven: Leaves or flower buds drop off. Cause: Temperature changes too quickly. Remedy: Move the plant slowly to a new position, avoiding suddenly moving the plant to a place where the temperature differs greatly from its original growing location.
Problem Eight: Leaves become brittle and break easily, and turn brown. Cause: Soil lacks nutrients. Remedy: If it has been a long time since repotting, replace the growing soil.
Problem Nine: Coffee-colored spots on the leaves. Cause: Cold water was used for watering. Remedy: Water the plant with water at the same temperature as the room.
Problem Ten: Leaves fade in color and appear droopy. Cause: Light is too strong. Remedy: Move the plant away from direct sunlight.
Care Methods:
African violets are native to the tropical regions of East Africa. They prefer warm, humid, and semi-shaded environments. In summer, they are afraid of strong light and high temperatures. The suitable production temperature is 16-24°C, 18-24°C from April to October, and 12-16°C from October to April of the following year. Daytime temperatures should not exceed 30°C, as high temperatures are detrimental to African violet growth. In winter, nighttime temperatures should not be lower than 10°C, otherwise they are prone to frost damage. Relative humidity of 40%-70% is more suitable. If the pot is too wet, roots are prone to rot. If the air is dry, leaves lack luster. African violets need shading in summer to keep leaves lush and green; in winter, ample sunlight is needed for continuous blooming; adding supplementary light on rainy and snowy days is very beneficial for the growth and blooming of African violets.
Summary: The above are answers to common problems in the care of African violets. We hope this is helpful to flower lovers.